MLL Announces Week 9 Award Winners

Major League Lacrosse Announces Week 9 Award Winners

Matt Danowski, Kip Turner and Ned Crotty Take Home the Honors

Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, has announced the weekly award winners following this past weekend's action. Long Island Lizards attackman Matt Danowski was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Boston Cannons goalie Kip Turner was named the Defensive Player of the Week for their performances while Chicago Machine Attackman Ned Crotty was selected as the Rookie of the Week.

Matt Danowski was honored as the Offensive Player of the Week for his seven-point outburst in a 17-15 victory over the Chicago Machine. The former Duke attackman tallied four goals, three of which were for two points, including the game winner. With the score tied at 15, Danowski ripped a two pointer with 1:24 remaining in the game to give his team the go ahead goal.

“You know what happened with the two pointers is that as an attackman you can’t really do it six on six, it’s got to be in transition,” Danowski said. “So I’m not scoring those goals without our defense playing really well and our middies getting the ball up field. So those are products of playing as a team.”

The three two-point goals in a game tie an MLL record. The last to achieve the feat was Kyle Dixon back on June 27 of 2009. Danowski also collected five groundballs on the night and was named Bud Light MVP of the game as the Lizards’ playoff hopes were revived; with the win the Lizards moved into third place at 4-5.

“[It was a] huge win for us, it was like a one-game playoff. Our attitude is we have to win every game.”

Kip Turner was named the Defensive Player of the Week for his dominant performance in a 16-10 victory over the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Boston showed why it’s in first place at 6-3 as it dominated from the start, including a 9-0 run to open the contest.

“I think having a huge lead can play both ways,” said Cannons head coach Bill Daye. “Obviously as a goalie you tend to relax a little but you also know the opposing team needs to get back in the game so they're going to be taking shots. Not to mention there's a lot of lacrosse that was still to be played.”

After the fast start Turner refused to let Chesapeake back in the game. The Cannons goalie made 20 saves on the night, allowing only nine goals in a full 60 minutes in between the pipes. The defensive honor is Boston’s second in the last three weeks as backup goalie Jordan Burke won the award for his Week 7 performance.

“I thought Kip played very well. [He] made some big saves when we needed them, made the saves he was supposed to and did a good job leading the defense,” Daye said.

Ned Crotty was named the Rookie of the Week in a losing effort against the Lizards over the weekend. Crotty posted his first career hat trick on just five shots as he continues to have an impressive inaugural campaign. The Tewaaraton Trophy winner leads all rookies this season with 14 points on six goals and eight assists.

It is Crotty’s second time being honored as the top rookie in his first five games and he has helped put the Machine in post-season contention. They currently sit in fourth place at 4-5. This week Crotty takes his spot as the lone rookie on the U.S. Men’s National Team when they travel to Manchester, England for the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships.